U.S. patent number 10,213,924 [Application Number 15/259,539] was granted by the patent office on 2019-02-26 for industrial robot with slit through-hole in cover.
This patent grant is currently assigned to NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION. The grantee listed for this patent is NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Toshimichi Kazama, Yasuyuki Kitahara, Tamotsu Kuribayashi, Masayoshi Saichi.
United States Patent |
10,213,924 |
Kitahara , et al. |
February 26, 2019 |
Industrial robot with slit through-hole in cover
Abstract
An industrial robot may include a robot main body; and an
elevating mechanism to raise and lower the robot main body. The
robot main body may include a hand, an arm to which the hand is
joined, a main body portion to which the arm is joined, and an
arm-elevating mechanism. The elevating mechanism may include a
drive unit, guide rails, a guide block, and a joining member
joining the robot main body and the guide block. The housing may
include a flat cover between the guide block and the main body
unit. Slit through-holes may be formed in the cover to enable the
joining member to move in the up-down direction.
Inventors: |
Kitahara; Yasuyuki (Nagano,
JP), Kazama; Toshimichi (Nagano, JP),
Kuribayashi; Tamotsu (Nagano, JP), Saichi;
Masayoshi (Nagano, JP) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION |
Suwa-gun, Nagano |
N/A |
JP |
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Assignee: |
NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
(Nagano, JP)
|
Family
ID: |
52686869 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/259,539 |
Filed: |
September 8, 2016 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20170008175 A1 |
Jan 12, 2017 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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14896788 |
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9539727 |
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PCT/JP2014/070735 |
Aug 6, 2014 |
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61864272 |
Aug 9, 2013 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Nov 29, 2013 [JP] |
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2013-247027 |
Nov 29, 2013 [JP] |
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2013-247028 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G
47/90 (20130101); B25J 9/044 (20130101); B25J
18/04 (20130101); B65G 47/902 (20130101); B25J
11/0095 (20130101); H01L 21/68707 (20130101); H01L
21/67766 (20130101); H01L 21/67781 (20130101); B25J
9/042 (20130101); H01L 21/67778 (20130101); Y10S
901/14 (20130101); Y10S 901/17 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B25J
9/04 (20060101); H01L 21/687 (20060101); B25J
11/00 (20060101); H01L 21/677 (20060101); B25J
18/04 (20060101); B65G 47/90 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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11156772 |
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Jun 1999 |
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JP |
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2001009765 |
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Jan 2001 |
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JP |
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2008264980 |
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Nov 2008 |
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JP |
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2011230256 |
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Nov 2011 |
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JP |
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2012056033 |
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Mar 2012 |
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JP |
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2012056033 |
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Mar 2012 |
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JP |
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2013157561 |
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Aug 2013 |
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JP |
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2009066573 |
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May 2009 |
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WO |
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WO-2009066573 |
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May 2009 |
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WO |
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Other References
International Search Report corresponding to Application No.
PCT/JP2014/070735; dated Sep. 20, 2014, with English translation.
cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: McClain; Gerald
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cantor Colburn LLP
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a divisional application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/896,788, filed on Dec. 8, 2015, the entire
contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The Ser.
No. 14/896,788 application is the U.S. national stage of
application No. PCT/JP2014/070735, filed on Aug. 6, 2014. Priority
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(a) and 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 365(b) is
claimed from Japanese Applications Nos. 2013-247027, filed Nov. 29,
2013; and 2013-247028, filed Nov. 29, 2013; the disclosures of
which are incorporated herein by reference. Priority is also
claimed under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/864,272, filed Aug. 9, 2013, the disclosure of
which is incorporated herein by reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An industrial robot which transfers semiconductor wafers between
multiple Front Open Unifier Pods (FOUPs) arranged in a fixed
direction and a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus and
configures part of an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM),
comprising: a robot main body; and an elevating mechanism arranged
outside said robot main body and structured to raise and lower said
robot main body; wherein said robot main body comprises a hand
structured to mount said semiconductor wafers, an arm comprising
multiple arm portions rotatably joined with one another and to
which said hand is rotatably joined to the front end thereof, a
main body portion to which the base end of said arm is rotatably
joined, and an arm-elevating mechanism structured to raise and
lower said arm; said elevating mechanism comprises a drive unit for
driving said robot main body in the up-down direction, guide rails
for guiding said robot main body in the up-down direction, a guide
block which engages with said guide rails and slides in the up-down
direction, a housing in which said drive unit, said guide rail and
said guide block are housed, and a joining member for connecting
said robot main body arranged outside said housing and said guide
block; said housing comprises a flat cover which is positioned
between said guide block and said main body unit; a plurality of
slit through-holes elongated in the up-down direction is formed in
said cover to enable said joining member to move in the up-down
direction; a through-hole passing portion which is positioned in
said through-hole is formed in said joining member; the width of
said through-hole passing portion in the width direction of said
through-hole orthogonal to the thickness direction of said cover
and the up-down direction and the width of said through-hole are
narrower than the width of said guide block in the width direction
of said through-hole; said elevating mechanism comprises exhaust
fans attached to said housing for discharging the air inside said
housing to the outside said EFEM; said elevating mechanism
comprises two of said guide rails arranged apart at a predetermined
distance, two of said joining members which are engaged with said
two guide rails respectively and are secured to said guide block;
said drive unit is connected to one of said two joining members;
the drive unit comprises a ball screw having the up-down direction
as an axial direction, a nut member structured to engage with the
ball screw, and a motor structured to rotate the ball screw; the
two guide rails are arranged so as to have a predetermined gap
between them in the left-right direction; the drive unit is
arranged between the two guide rails in the left-right direction,
the motor and the ball screw are arranged between the two guide
rails in the left-right direction; the elevating mechanism
comprises two exhaust fans; the two exhaust fans are arranged next
to each other such that one exhaust fan is positioned behind the
motor and the other exhaust fan is positioned behind the ball
screw; a distance between one exhaust fan and one of the slit
through-holes is approximately equal to a distance between the
other exhaust fan and an other of the slit through-holes; said main
body unit is formed such that the shape thereof is a rectangular or
square shape when viewed in the up-down direction; said elevating
mechanism comprises a fixed member which is arranged outside said
housing and to which one of the side faces of said main body unit
is secured; and said fixed member is secured to the leading edge of
said through-hole passing portion.
2. The industrial robot as set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive
unit and said two exhaust fans are arranged in said housing.
3. The industrial robot as set forth in claim 2, wherein said drive
unit and said two exhaust fans are arranged at a bottom of said
housing.
4. The industrial robot as set forth in claim 3, wherein said two
exhaust fans are attached to a top surface of a bottom face portion
of said housing.
5. The industrial robot as set forth in claim 1, wherein a through
hole is provided in a bottom face portion of said housing.
6. The industrial robot as set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive
unit is arranged between a front face portion of said housing and
said two exhaust fans.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
At least an embodiment of the present invention relates to an
industrial robot which configures part of an EFEM (Equipment Front
End Module) and transfers semiconductors between a FOUP (Front Open
Unifier Pod) and a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus.
BACKGROUND
Conventionally known is an industrial robot which configures part
of an EFEM and transfers semiconductor wafers between a FOUP (or
multiple FOUPs) and a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus
(Patent reference 1, for example). The industrial robot disclosed
in Patent reference 1 is provided with two hands on which
semiconductors are to be mounted, an arm, to which the two hands
are rotatably joined to the front end thereof, and a main body
portion, to which the base end of the arm is rotatably joined. The
arm is composed of a first arm, of which the base end is rotatably
joined to the main body portion, a second arm, of which the base
end is rotatably joined to the front end of the first arm, and a
third arm, of which the base end is rotatably joined to the front
end of the second arm and to which the hands are rotatably joined
to the front end thereof. An arm-elevating mechanism is stored
inside the main body portion to raise and lower the first arm.
PATENT REFERENCE
[Patent reference 1] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application
2011-230256 Publication
A FOUP is manufactured based on the standard of a SEMI
(Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute) where the height
of a FOUP has a fixed dimension. On the other hand, there is no
specific standard regarding a semiconductor wafer processing
apparatus, and therefore the height of the semiconductor processor
is randomly set. For this reason, the elevation by the
arm-elevating mechanism becomes insufficient depending on the
specification of the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus, and
therefore, the industrial robot disclosed Patent reference 1 may
not be used in an EFEM as it is.
In such a case, the configuration of the arm-elevating mechanism
arranged inside the main body portion may be modified to increase
the elevation by the arm-elevating mechanism. However, in order to
increase the elevation by the arm-elevating mechanism, multiple
kinds of industrial robots having the different mount of elevation
by the arm-elevating mechanism need to be manufactured according to
the height of the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus;
therefore, the cost of industrial robot may increase.
On the other hand, if the elevation by the arm-elevating mechanism
arranged inside the main body portion is insufficient, this problem
may be solved by setting up an elevating mechanism, which raises
and lowers the industrial robot itself of Patent reference 1,
outside the industrial robot. However, when providing the elevating
mechanism outside the industrial robot, the size of an EFEM may be
increased.
SUMMARY
Therefore, at least an embodiment of the present invention provides
an industrial robot, which transfers semiconductor wafers between
multiple FOUPs arranged in a fixed direction and a semiconductor
wafer processing apparatus and which configures part of an EFEM,
capable of reducing the size of the EFEM in the direction
orthogonal to the direction of the arrangement of multiple FOUPs
and in the up-down direction even if the elevating mechanism for
raising and lowering the robot main body is arranged outside the
robot main body.
Also, when the elevation by the arm-elevating mechanism arranged
inside the main body portion is insufficient, the aforementioned
problem can be solved if the elevating mechanism for raising and
lowering the industrial robot main body itself, disclosed in Patent
reference 1, is provided outside the industrial robot. In this
case, if a drive unit and a guide portion of the elevating
mechanism is stored inside the EFEM to guide the industrial robot
in the up-down direction, particles generated at the drive unit or
the guide portion can be kept from coming into the inside of the
EFEM. However, even when the drive unit or the guide portion of the
elevating mechanism is stored inside the housing, particles
generated at the drive unit or the guide portion may come into the
EFEM through the joining portion between the industrial robot and
the elevating mechanism, and cleanliness will not be maintained
inside of the EFEM.
Therefore, at least an embodiment of the present invention provides
an industrial robot, which configures part of the EFEM, capable of
effectively preventing particles generated at a drive portion or a
guide portion of the elevating mechanism from coming into the EFEM
through the joining portion between the robot main body and the
elevating mechanism even when the elevating mechanism for raising
and lowering the robot main body is arranged outside the robot main
body.
To achieve the above, the industrial robot of at least an
embodiment of the present invention is featured by the fact that an
industrial robot, which transfers semiconductor wafers between
multiple FOUPs arranged in a fixed direction and a semiconductor
wafer processing apparatus and which configures part of the EFEM,
is provided with a robot main body and an elevating mechanism which
is arranged outside the robot main body and raises and lowers the
robot main body, wherein the robot main body is provided with a
hand, on which semiconductor wafers are to be mounted, an arm which
is configured by multiple arm portions joined together relatively
rotatable to one another and to which the hand is rotatably joined
to the front end thereof, and an arm-elevating mechanism for
raising and lowering the arm; when the direction of the arrangement
of the multiple FOUPs is the first direction, the direction
orthogonal to the up-down direction and the first direction is the
second direction, one side of the second direction is the third
direction and the other side of the second direction is the fourth
direction, the center of rotation of the base end of the arm
relative to the main body portion is positioned farther toward the
third direction side than the center of the main body portion when
viewed in the top-bottom direction; in the stand-by state of the
industrial robot where the arm is retracted and the multiple arm
portions and the hand overlap in the top-bottom direction, part of
the arm is positioned farther toward the fourth direction side than
the main body portion; the main body portion is secured to the
elevating mechanism; the elevating mechanism is located on either
one side or both sides of the first direction and/or on the fourth
direction side of the main body portion.
In the industrial robot of at least an embodiment of the present
invention, in the stand-by state of the industrial robot where the
arm is retracted and the multiple arm portions and the hand overlap
in the up-down direction, part of the arm is positioned farther
toward the fourth direction side than the main body portion of the
robot main body. In this invention, the main body portion of the
robot main body is secured to the elevating mechanism which raises
and lowers the robot main body, and also the elevating mechanism is
positioned on either one side or both sides of the first direction
and/or on the fourth direction side of the main body portion. For
this reason, in at least an embodiment of the present invention,
the industrial robot can be arranged inside the housing the EFEM
while the side face of the industrial robot in the third direction
is brought closer to the side face of the housing the EFEM in the
third direction. Therefore, according to at least an embodiment of
the present invention, even if the elevating mechanism for raising
and lowering the robot main body is positioned outside the robot
main body, the size of the EFEM can be reduced in the second
direction which is orthogonal to the direction of the arrangement
of the multiple FOUPs (the first direction) and the up-down
direction.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferred
that the arm be provided with the first arm portion, of which the
base end is rotatably joined to the main body portion, and the
elevating mechanism be arranged within the rotation area of the
first arm portion with respect to the main body portion when viewed
in the top-bottom direction. With this configuration, the width of
the housing of the EFEM in the second direction can be set based on
the radius of rotation of the first arm portion with respect to the
main body portion regardless of the size of the elevating
mechanism. Therefore, the size of the EFEM can further be reduced
in the second direction.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferred
that the main body portion be formed such that the shape thereof
when viewed in the up-down direction is a rectangular or square
shape which has side faces parallel to the first direction. With
this configuration, the industrial robot can be arranged inside the
housing of the EFEM while the side face of the industrial robot on
the third direction side is brought closer to the side face of the
housing of the EFEM on the third direction side. Therefore, the
size of the EFEM can be further reduced in the second
direction.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferred
that the side face of the main body portion on the fourth direction
side be attached to the elevating mechanism. With this
configuration, the size of the industrial robot can be reduced in
the first direction.
Next, to achieve the above, the industrial robot of at least an
embodiment of the present invention is featured by the fact that an
industrial robot, which configures part of an EFEM and transfers
semiconductor wafers between FOUP and a semiconductor wafer
processing apparatus, is provided with a robot main body and an
elevating mechanism which is positioned outside the robot main body
and elevates the robot main body; the robot main body is provided
with a hand on which semiconductor wafers are mounted, an arm to
which the hand is rotatably joined to the front end thereof, a main
body portion to which the base end of the arm is rotatably joined,
and an arm-elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the arm;
the elevating mechanism is provided with a drive unit for driving
the robot main body in the up-down direction, a guide rail for
guiding the robot main body in the up-down direction, a guide block
which engages with the guide rail and slide in the up-down
direction, a housing in which the drive unit, the guide rail and
the guide block are housed, and a joining member for joining the
robot main body positioned outside the housing and the guide block;
the housing is provided with a flat sheet-like cover positioned
between the guide block and the main body portion; a slit-like
through-hole elongated in the up-down direction is formed in the
cover so that the joining member can move in the up-down direction;
formed in the joining member is a through-hole passing portion
which is to be positioned in the through-hole; and the width of the
through-hole passing portion in the width direction of the
through-hole orthogonal to the thickness direction of the cover and
the up-down direction and the width of the through-hole are
narrower than the width of the guide block in the width direction
of the through-hole.
In the industrial robot of at least an embodiment of the present
invention, the drive unit, the guide rail and the guide block which
configure part of the elevating mechanism are housed in the
housing. Also, in at least an embodiment of the present invention,
the flat-sheet like cover which configures part of the housing is
positioned between the guide block and the main body portion of the
robot main body; in this cover, the slit-like through-hole
elongated in the up-down direction is formed. Further, in at least
an embodiment of the present invention, the through-hole passing
portion to be positioned in the through-hole is formed in the
joining member which joins the robot main body with the guide
block, and the width of the through-hole passing portion in the
through-hole width direction and the width of the through-hole are
narrower than the width of the guide block in the width direction
of the through-hole. For this reason, the width of the through-hole
can be narrow in at least an embodiment of the present invention,
compared to the configuration where the guide block is arranged in
the through-hole of the cover. Therefore, according to at least an
embodiment of the present invention, even when the elevating
mechanism for raising and lowering the robot main body is
positioned outside the robot main body, particles generated at the
drive unit or the guide portion of the elevating mechanism can
effectively be prevented from coming from the joint section between
the robot main body and the elevating mechanism into the EFEM.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferred
that the main body portion be formed such that the shape thereof is
rectangle or square when viewed in the up-down direction; the
elevating mechanism be provided with a fixing member which is
positioned outside the housing and to which one of the side faces
of the main body portion is secured; and the fixing member be
secured to the front end of the through-hole passing portion. In
this configuration, the robot main body and the elevating mechanism
can be joined by using the side face of the robot main body, which
is formed flat, and the fixing member positioned outside the
housing; therefore, the robot main body and the elevating mechanism
can easily be joined.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferred
that the elevating mechanism be provided with an exhaust fan which
is attached to the housing to discharge the air inside the housing
to the outside of the EFEM. In this configuration, particles
generated at the drive unit or the guide portion of the elevating
mechanism can more effectively be prevented from coming out of the
joint section between the robot main body and the elevating
mechanism into the EFEM.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, for example,
the elevating mechanism is provided with two guide rails, which are
spaced at a predetermined gap in the width direction of the
through-hole and two joining members, which are secured to the
guide block which engages with each of the two guide rails, and a
connecting member which is arranged inside the housing to connect
the two joining members; the drive unit is connected to one of the
two joining members.
As described above, to achieve the above, in the industrial robot
which transfers semiconductor wafers between multiple FOUPs
arranged in a fixed direction and a semiconductor wafer processing
apparatus and which configures part of the EFEM, the elevating
mechanism for raising and lowering the robot main body is
positioned outside the robot main body, the size of the EFEM can be
reduced in the direction which is orthogonal to the direction of
the arrangement of the multiple FOUPs and orthogonal to the up-down
direction.
As described above, to achieve the above, in the industrial robot
configuring part of the EFEM, even if the elevating mechanism for
raising and lowering the robot main body is positioned outside the
robot main body, particles generated at the drive unit or the guide
portion of the elevating mechanism can effectively be prevented
from coming out of the joining portion between the robot main body
and the elevating mechanism into the EFEM.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING
Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings which are meant to be
exemplary, not limiting, and wherein like elements are numbered
alike in several Figures, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial robot of an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the industrial robot of FIG. 1,
showing the robot main body and the arm elevated and also the arm
extended.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a semiconductor manufacturing system in
which the industrial robot of FIG. 1 is used.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the robot main body of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an elevating mechanism shown in
FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a diagram to explain the configuration of the elevating
mechanism of FIG. 5 from the front side.
FIG. 7 is a diagram to explain the configuration of the elevating
mechanism of FIG. 5 from the top side.
FIG. 8(A) is an enlarged view of the E section of FIG. 7; FIG. 8(B)
is an enlarged view of the F section of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments of the present invention are described hereinafter
referring to the drawings.
(Configuration of Industrial Robot)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial robot 1 of an
embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view
of the industrial robot 1 of FIG. 1, with a robot main body 3 and
an arm 16 elevated and the arm 16 extended. FIG. 3 is a plan view
of a semiconductor manufacturing system 5 in which the industrial
robot 1 of FIG. 1 is used.
The industrial robot 1 of this embodiment is a horizontal
articulated robot for transferring semiconductor wafers (see FIG.
3). This industrial robot 1 is configured by a robot main boy 3 and
an elevating mechanism 4 which raises and lowers the robot main
body 3. In the description below, the industrial robot 1 is denoted
as "robot 1" and the semiconductor wafer 2 "the wafer 2". Also, in
the following description, the X direction in FIG. 1, etc.
orthogonal to the up-down direction is "the left-right direction";
the Y direction orthogonal to the up-down direction and the
left-right direction is "the front-rear direction"; the X1
direction side is "the right" side; the X2 direction side is the
"left side"; the Y direction side is the "front" side; and the Y2
direction side is the "rear" side.
As shown in FIG. 3, the robot 1 is installed and used in the
semiconductor manufacturing system 5. The semiconductor
manufacturing system 5 is provided with a semiconductor wafer
processing apparatus 7 which performs predetermined processes on
wafers 2. The EFEM 6 is positioned on the front side of the
semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 7. The robot 1 configures
part of the EFEM 6. Also, the EFEM 6 is provided with multiple load
ports 9 that open/close the FOUPs 8 and a housing 10 in which the
robot 1 is housed. The housing 10 is formed in a rectangular
parallelepiped box-shape elongated in the left-right direction. The
front face and the rear face of the housing 10 is parallel to the
plane created by the up-down direction and the left-right
direction. Inside the housing 10 is a clean space. In other words,
inside the EFEM 6 is a clean space in which a predetermined
cleanliness is maintained.
The FOUP 8 is manufactured based on the SEMI standard; the FOUP 8
can store 25 or 13 individual wafers 2. The load ports 9 are
positioned on the front side of the housing 10. The EFEM 6 of this
embodiment is provided with four load ports 9 spaced at a
predetermined pitch in the left-right direction; in the EFEM 6,
four FOUPs 8 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the
left-right direction. The robot 1 transfers wafers 2 between the
four FOUPs and the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 7. In
the first embodiment, the left-right direction which is the
direction of arrangement of the four FOUPs is defined as the first
direction; the front-rear direction is defined as the second
direction which intersects orthogonally with the left-right
direction that is the first direction and with the up-down
direction; the front direction (Y1 direction) which is on one side
of the second direction is defined as the third direction; and the
rear direction (Y2 direction) which is on the other side of the
second direction is defined as the fourth direction.
(Configuration of Robot Main Body)
FIG. 4 is a side view of the robot main body 3 shown in FIG. 1.
The robot main body 3 is provided with two hands 14, 15, on which
wafers 2 are to be mounted, an arm 16 to which the hands 14, 15 are
rotatably joined to the front end thereof, and a main body portion
17, to which the base end of the arm 16 is rotatably joined. The
arm 16 is configured by a first arm portion 18, of which the base
end is rotatably joined to the main body portion 17, a second arm
portion 19, of which the base end is rotatably joined to the front
end of the first arm portion 18, and a third arm portion 20, of
which the base end is rotatably joined to the front end of the
second arm portion 19. In other words, the arm 16 has three arm
portions which are rotatably joined to each other. The first arm
portion 18, the second arm portion 19 and the third arm portion are
all formed hollow. Also, in this embodiment, the length of the
first arm portion 18, the length of the second arm portion 19 and
the length of the third arm portion are all equal to each other.
The main body portion 17, the first arm portion 18, the second arm
portion 19 and the third arm portion 20 are arranged in this order
from the bottom in the up-down direction.
The hands 14, 15 are formed such that the shape thereof is a
Y-shape when viewed in the up-down direction; the wafers 2 are to
be mounted on the front end side of the forked hand 14, 15. The
base ends of the hands 14, 15 are rotataby joined to the front end
of the third arm portion 20. The hands 14, 15 are arranged to
overlap in the up-down direction. More specifically, the hand 14 is
positioned at the top and the hand 15 is positioned at the bottom.
Also, the hands 14, 15 are positioned above the third arm portion
20.
Note that the illustration of the hand 15 is omitted in FIG. 3.
When the robot 1 is in operation, the hand 14 and the hand 15
sometimes overlap with each other in the up-down direction;
however, most of the time, the hand 14 and the hand 15 do not
overlap with each other in the up-down direction. For example, as
shown by long dashed double short dashed lines in FIG. 3, when the
hand 14 is placed in the FOUP 8, the hand 15 is rotated toward the
main body portion 17 so that it is not in the FOUP 8. The angle of
rotation of the hand 15 with respect to the hand 14 at that time is
between 120.degree. and 150.degree., for example.
The main body portion 17 is provided with a housing 21 and a column
member 22 (see FIG. 2) to which the base end of the first arm
portion 18 is rotatably joined. The housing 21 is formed in a
rectangular parallelepiped shape elongated in the up-down
direction, and the shape of the housing 21 when viewed in the
up-down direction is rectangular or square. The front face and the
rear face of the housing 21 is parallel to the plane created by the
up-down direction and the left-right direction; the side faces of
the housing 21 on left and right are parallel to the plane created
by the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. In other
words, the main body portion 17 is formed in a rectangular
parallelepiped shape elongated in the up-down direction, having a
rectangular or a square shape when viewed in the up-down direction.
Also, the front face and the rear face are parallel to the plane
created by the up-down direction and the left-right direction; the
side faces of the main body portion 17 on left and right are
parallel to the plane created by the up-down direction and the
front-rear direction.
The column member 22 is formed to be a long and narrow column
elongated in the up-down direction. Inside the housing 21, an
arm-elevating mechanism (no illustration) for raising and lowering
the column member 22 is housed. In other words, inside the housing
21, the arm-elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the first
arm portion 18 (that is, for raising and lowering the arm 16)
relative to the main body portion 17 is housed. The arm-elevating
mechanism is configured by a ball screw arranged having the up-down
direction as its axial direction, a nut member which engages with
the ball screw, and a motor, etc. for rotating the ball screw. As
shown in FIG. 1, the arm-elevating mechanism raise and lowers the
column member 22 between the position at which the column member 22
is housed in the housing 21 and the position at which the column
member 22 projects upwardly from the housing 21, as shown in FIG.
2. In other words, the arm-elevating mechanism raises and lower the
arm 16 between the position at which the column member 22 is housed
in the housing 21 and the position at which the column member 22
projects upwardly from the housing 21.
The column member 22 is arranged on the front side of the housing
21. The base end of the first arm portion 18 is rotatably joined to
the top end of the column member 22. In other words, as shown in
FIG. 3, the center of rotation C1 of the first arm portion 18 (that
is, the center of rotation of the arm 16 on the base end side) with
respect to the main body portion 17 is positioned farther toward
the front side (toward the FOUPs 8) than the center of the main
body portion 17, when viewed in the up-down direction. The column
member 22 is arranged in the center position of the housing 21 in
the left-right direction.
In FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the robot 1 is at a standby state where the
arm 16 is retracted and the first arm portion 18, the second arm
portion 19, the third arm portion 20 and the hands 14, 15 overlap
with each other in the up-down direction. In the standby state,
part of the arm 16 and the hands 14 and 15 project toward the back
farther than the main body portion 17.
The robot main body 3 is provided with an arm portion-driving
mechanism for rotating the first arm portion 18 and the second arm
portion 19 and extending and retracting part of the arm 16
configured by the first arm portion 18 and the second arm portion
19, a third arm driving mechanism for rotating the third arm
portion 20, a first hand-driving mechanism for rotating the hand
14, and a second hand-driving mechanism for rotating the hand
15.
As shown in FIG. 4, the arm portion-driving mechanism is provided
with a motor 25 which is a driving source, a reduction gear 26 for
reducing the power of the motor 25 and transmitting the result to
the first arm portion 18, and a reduction gear 27 for reducing the
power of the motor 25 and transmitting the result to the second arm
portion 19. The motor 25 is arranged inside the housing 21. The
reduction gear 26 configures a joint section that joins the main
body portion 17 and the first arm portion 18. The reduction gear 27
configures a joint section that joins the first arm portion 18 and
the second arm portion 19. The reduction gear 26, 27 is a harmonic
drive (registered trade mark) which is a wave gear device, for
example. In the same manner as the industrial robot disclosed in
the above-described Patent reference 1, the motor 25 and the
reduction gear 26 are connected with each other via a pulley and a
belt whose illustrations are omitted in the figure, and the motor
25 and the reduction gear 27 are connected with each other via a
pulley and a belt whose illustrations are omitted in the
figure.
The third arm portion-driving mechanism, as shown in FIG. 4, is
provided with a motor 28 which is a driving source and a reduction
gear 29 for reducing the power of the motor 28 and transmitting the
result to the third arm portion 20. The motor 28 is arranged on the
front side inside the second arm portion 19. The reduction gear 29
configures a joint section that connects the second arm portion 19
and the third arm portion 20. The reduction gear 29 is a harmonic
drive (registered trade mark), for example. The motor 28 and the
reduction gear 29 are connected with each other via a gear train
whose illustration is omitted in the figure.
The first hand-driving mechanism is, as shown in FIG. 4, provided
with a motor 30 which is a driving source, a reduction gear 31 for
reducing the power of the motor 30 and transmitting the result to
the hand 14. In the same manner as the first hand-driving
mechanism, the second hand-driving mechanism is provided with a
motor 32 which is a driving source and a reduction gear 33 for
reducing the power of the motor 32 and transmitting the result to
the hand 15. The motors 30, 32 and the reduction gears 31, 33 are
arranged inside the third arm portion 20. The reduction gear 31, 33
is a harmonic drive (registered trade mark), for example. In the
same manner as the industrial robot disclosed in the
above-described Patent reference 1, the reduction gear 31 is
attached to the output shaft of the motor 30, and the reduction
gear 33 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 32. Also, the
hand 14 and the reduction gear 31 are connected to each other via a
pulley and a belt whose illustrations are omitted in the figure,
and the hand 15 and the reduction gear 33 are connected to each
other via a pulley and a belt whose illustrations are omitted in
the figure.
The robot main body 3 of this embodiment is capable of taking the
wafers in an out of the FOUPs 8 even by itself. In other words,
even without the elevating mechanism 4 attached, the robot main
body 3 is capable of taking the wafers 2 in and out of the FOUPs 8
by elevating the column member 22, rotating the first arm portion
18, the second arm portion 19 and the third arm portion 20 to
extend/retract the arm 16, and rotating the hands 14 and 15.
(Configuration of Elevating Mechanism)
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the elevating mechanism 4 shown in
FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram to explain the configuration of the
elevating mechanism 4 of FIG. 5 from the front side. FIG. 7 is a
diagram to explain the configuration of the elevating mechanism 4
of FIG. 5 from the top side. FIG. 8 (A) is an enlarged view of the
E section of FIG. 7; FIG. 8 9B) is an enlarged view of the F
section of FIG. 7.
The elevating mechanism 4 is formed as a separate body from the
robot main body 3 and positioned outside the robot main body 3.
Also, the elevating mechanism 4 is secured to the bottom face of
the housing 10. The elevating mechanism 4 is provided with a drive
unit 36 for driving the robot main body 3 in the up-down direction,
two guide rails 37 for guiding the robot main body 3 in the up-down
direction, a guide block 38 which engages with the two guide rails
37 and slides in the up-down direction, a housing 39 in which the
drive unit 36, the guide rails 37 and the guide block 38 are
housed, two joining member 40 for connecting the robot main body 3,
which is positioned outside the housing 39, and the guide block 38,
a fixing member 41 which is arranged outside the housing 39 and on
which the robot main body 3 is secured, and two exhaust fans 42
(see FIG. 7) for discharging the air inside the housing 39 to the
outside of the EFEM 6 (in other words, outside the housing 10).
The housing 39 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape
elongated in the up-down direction as a whole. The housing 39 is
configured by a top face portion 39a that configures the top face
of the housing 39, a bottom face portion 39b that configures the
bottom face of the housing 39, side face portions 39c that
configure the side faces of the housing 39 on left and right, a
front face portion 39d that configures the front face of the
housing 39, and a rear face portion 39e that configures the back
face of the housing 39.
The top face portion 39a and the bottom face portion 39b are formed
to be like a rectangular flat-sheet having the up-down direction as
its thickness direction. The front face portion 39d and the rear
face portion 39e are formed to be like a rectangular flat sheet
having the front-rear direction as its thickness direction and
having the up-down direction as its longitudinal direction. The
side face portions 39c are respectively formed in a trapezoidal
flat sheet having the left-right direction as its thickness
direction. The top edge face and the bottom edge face of each of
the side face portions 39c orthogonally intersect with the up-down
direction, and the rear edge face of the side face portion 39c
orthogonally intersects with the front-rear direction. The front
edge face of the side face portion 39c is a tapered surface that
fans out toward the front as toward the bottom.
The bottom surface of the top face portion 39a abuts on the top
edge surface of the side face portion 39c, and the front surface of
the rear face portion 39e abuts on the rear edge surface of the
side face portions 39c. The outer surface of the bottom face
portion 39b on left and right abuts on the bottom edge of the inner
surface of the side face portion 9c on left and right. The bottom
surface of the top face portion 39a abuts on the top edge surface
of the front face portion 39d, and the top surface of the bottom
face portion 39b abuts on the bottom edge surface of the front face
portion 39d. The front edge surface of the top face portion 39a,
the front edge surface of the bottom face portion 39b and the front
surface of the front face portion 39d are aligned with each other.
The inner surfaces of the side face portions 39c in the left-right
direction abut on the side edge surfaces of the front face portions
39d on left and right. The front edge side of the side face portion
39c is a protrusion portion 39f that projects further to the front
than the front face portion 39d.
A slit-like through-hole 39g elongated in the up-down direction is
formed in the front face portion 39d. The through-hole 39g is
formed over the entire area of the front face portion 39d in the
up-down direction so that the joining member 40 can move in the
up-down direction. Also, two through-holes 39g are formed in the
front face portion 39d having a predetermined gap between them in
the left-right direction. In the second embodiment, the left-right
direction is the width direction of the through-hole 39g.
The drive unit 36 is provided with a motor 45, which is a driving
source, a ball screw 46 that is rotated by the power of the motor
45, and a nut member 47 that engages with the thread of the ball
screw 46. The motor 45 is secured to a holding member 48 that is
fixed to the top surface of the bottom face portion 39b and
arranged at the bottom in the housing 39. The motor 45 is also
secured to the holding member 48 such that the output shaft thereof
protrudes downwardly. A pulley 49 is fixed to the output shaft of
the motor 45. The ball screw 46 is arranged having the up-down
direction as its axial direction. The bottom end of the ball screw
46 is rotatably supported by a bearing 50 which is arranged at the
bottom in the housing 39. The bearing 50 is attached to the holding
member 48. A pulley 51 is fixed to the bottom end of the ball crew
46. A belt 52 is bridged over the pulley 49 and the pulley 51. The
nut member 47 is secured to one of the two joining members 40, as
described later.
The guide rail 37 is secured to a rail mounting portion 39h that
protrudes from the inner surface of the side face portion 39c in
the left-right direction toward the inside in the left-right
direction. In other words, the two guide rails 37 are arranged
having a predetermined gap between them in the left-right
direction. The drive unit 36 is arranged between the two guide
rails 37 in the left-right direction. The guide rails 37 are
secured to the rail mounting portions 39h having the up-down
direction as their longitudinal direction. Also, the guide rails 37
are secured to the front surface of the rail mounting portions 39h.
The guide block 38 is engaged with the front surface of the guide
rails 37.
The joining member 40 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped
block shape elongated in the up-down direction. The outer portion
of the joining member 40 in the left-right direction is a
block-secured portion 40a which is secured to the guide block 39.
The block-secured portion 40a is secured to the front surface of
the guide block 38. More specifically described, the block-secured
portion 40a is secured to the front surface of the guide block 38
while the front surface of the guide block 38 and the rear surface
of the block-secured portion 40a are made contact with each other.
In other words, each of the two joining members 40 is secured to
the guide block 38 that engages with each of the two guide rails
37.
The two joining members 40 are connected to each other by a
flat-sheet like connecting member 54. The connecting member 54 is
arranged inside the housing 39. Also, the left and right sides of
the connecting member 54 are secured to the front surface of the
inner portions of the joining member 40 in the left-right
direction. A nut member 47 is secured to one of the two joining
members 40. In this embodiment, the ball screw 46 and the nut
member 47 are arranged on the right side of the motor 45, and the
nut member 47 is secured to the left end surface of the joining
member 40 positioned on the right side.
Formed inside portions of the joining member 40 in the left-right
direction is a through-hole passing portion 40b which is arranged
in the through-hole 39g so as to pass through the through-hole 39
in the front-rear direction. The through-hole passing portion 40b
is formed to project from the block-secured portion 40a to the
front side. Also, the through-hole passing portion 40b is formed
over the entire area of the joining member 40 in the up-down
direction and formed to be a rectangular parallelepiped elongated
in the up-down direction. The leading edge (the front end) of the
through-hole passing portion 40b projects farther toward the front
than the front face portion 39d. In other words, most of the
joining member 40 except the leading edge of the through-hole
passing portion 40b is housed inside the housing 39. The leading
edge surface (the front end surface) of the through-hole passing
portion 40b is formed to be a flat surface which orthogonally
intersects with the front-rear direction.
As shown in FIG. 8, the width H1 of the through-hole passing
portion 40b in the left-right direction is narrower than the width
H2 of the guide block 38 in the left-right direction. The width H3
of the through-hole 39g in the left-right direction is narrower
than the width H2 of the guide block 38.
The fixed member 41 is formed to be like a flat sheet having the
front-rear direction as its thickness direction. The fixed member
41 is arranged on the front side of the front face portion 39d.
Also, the fixed member 41 is arranged between two protrusions 39f
in the left-right direction. The fixed member 41 is secured to the
leading edge surface of the through-hole passing portion 40b. More
specifically described, the fixed member 41 is secured to the front
end surface of the through-hole passing portion 40b while the front
end surface of the through-hole passing portion 40b and the rear
face of the fixed member 41 are made contact with each other.
The robot main body 3 is secured to the front surface of the fixed
member 41. More specifically described, the rear surface of the
housing 21, which is one of the side surfaces of the main body 17,
is fixed to the front surface of the fixed member 41. In other
words, the rear surface of the main body portion 17 is attached to
the elevating mechanism 4, and the elevating mechanism 4 is
arranged behind the main body portion 17. Also, a part of the rear
surface of the main body portion 17 is positioned between the two
protrusions 39f in the left-right direction. The front face portion
39d in the second embodiment functions as a cover positioned
between the guide blocks 38 and the main body portion 17.
As shown in FIG. 3, the elevating mechanism 4 fits in the area of
rotation of the first arm portion 18 with respect to the main body
17 when viewed in the up-down direction. In other words, the
elevating mechanism 4 fists on the inner circumferential side of
the trace R of the leading edge of the first arm portion 18 (more
specifically, the arc trace) when the first arm portion 18 rotates
around the center C1 of rotation of the first arm portion 18.
The exhaust fans 42 are attached to the top surface of the bottom
face portion 39b of the housing 39. The exhaust fans 42 are also
positioned behind the drive unit 36. The two exhaust fans 42 are
arranged next to each other in the left-right direction. In the
bottom face portion 39b, a through-hole is created for the air
discharged from the two exhaust fans 42 to pass through. There is
also a through-hole created in the portion in the bottom face
portion of the housing 10, at which the elevating mechanism 4 is
secured, for the air discharged by the exhaust fans 42 to pass
through. With this configuration, the air inside the housing 39 is
discharged to the outside of the EFEM 6 by the exhaust fans 42.
In this embodiment, the robot main body 3 is raised and lowered
with respect to the housing 39 of the elevating mechanism 4 if
necessary when wafers 2 are transferred between the FOUPs 8 and the
semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 7.
(Major Effects of the First Embodiment)
As described above, in the first embodiment, in the standby state
of the robot 1 where the arm 16 is retracted and first arm portion
18, the second arm portion 19, the third arm portion 20 and the
hands 14, 15 are overlapped each other, part of the arm 16 and the
hands 14 and 15 project farther toward the back than the main body
portion 17. Also, in this embodiment, the main body portion 17 of
the robot main body 3 is secured to the elevating mechanism 4, and
the elevating mechanism 4 is arranged behind the main body portion
17. Therefore, in this embodiment, the robot 1 can be arranged
inside the housing 10 while the front face of the robot 1 is made
close to the front face of the housing 10 of the EFEM 6. Therefore,
in this embodiment, even when the elevating mechanism 4 for raising
and lowering the robot main body 3 is arranged outside the robot
main body 3, the size of the EFEM 6 can be reduced in the
front-rear direction.
In particular in the first embodiment, the main body unit 17 is
formed such that the shape thereof is rectangular or square when
viewed in the up-down direction and the front face of the main body
unit 17 is parallel to the plane created by the up-down direction
and the left-right direction; therefore, the robot 1 can be
positioned inside the housing while the front face of the robot 1
is made closer to the front face of the housing 10 of the EFEM 6.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the size of the EFEM 6 can be
reduced in the front-rear direction.
In the first embodiment, the elevating mechanism 4 fits inside the
inner circumference of the trace R of the leading edge of the first
arm portion 18, as viewed in the up-down direction, when the first
arm portion 18 is rotated around the center of rotation C1 of the
first arm portion 18; therefore, the width of the housing 10 in the
front-rear direction can be determined based on the radius of
rotation of the first arm portion 18 with respect to the main body
portion 17, without being affected by the size of the elevating
mechanism 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, the size of the EFEM 6
can be further reduced in the front-rear direction.
Also, in the first embodiment, the elevating mechanism 4 is
positioned behind the main body portion 17; therefore, the size of
the robot 1 can be reduced in the left-right direction.
(Major Effects of Second Embodiment)
As described above, in the second embodiment, the drive unit 36,
the guide rails 37, and the guide block 38 which configure the
elevating mechanism 4 are housed in the housing 39. In this
embodiment, the flat sheet-like front face portion 39d is arranged
between the guide block 38 and the main body unit 17, and the
slit-like through-hole 39g elongated in the up-down direction is
created in the front face portion 39d. Further, in this embodiment,
the through-hole passing portions 40b are formed in the joining
member 40 provided to connect the robot main body 3 and the guide
block 38, and the width H1 of the through-hole passing portion 40b
and the with H3 of the through-hole 39g in the left-right direction
are narrower than the width H2 of the guide block 38 in the
left-right direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the width of
the through-hole 39g can be kept narrow, compared to the
configuration in which the guide block 38 is arranged in the
through-hole 39g. Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the
elevating mechanism 4 for raising and lowering the robot main body
3 is arranged outside the robot main body 3, particles generated in
the drive unit 36, the guide rails 37 or the guide block 38 can
effectively be prevented from entering into the EFEM 6 from the
joint section between the robot main body 3 and the elevating
mechanism 4.
Further, in the second embodiment, the exhaust fans 42 are attached
to the housing 39 to discharge the air inside the housing 39 to the
outside of the EFEM 6; therefore, particles generated at the drive
unit 36, the guide rails 37, or the guide block 38 can more
effectively be prevented from entering into the EFEM 6 from the
joint section between the robot main body 3 and the elevating
mechanism 4.
In the second embodiment, the rear surface of the housing 21 of the
main body unit 17 is secured to the fixed member 41 arranged
outside the housing 39. In other words, in this embodiment, the
robot main body 3 and the elevating mechanism 4 can easily be
connected to each other by using the flat sheet-like fixed member
41 arranged outside the housing and the back surface of the planar
housing 21.
(Other Embodiments)
The above-described first and second embodiments are the preferred
examples of the present invention; however, the embodiment is not
limited to these, but can varyingly be modified within the scope of
the invention.
In the above-described first embodiment, the center of rotation C1
of the first arm portion 18 is positioned farther toward the front
than the center of the main body unit 17, and in the standby state
of the robot 1 where the first arm portion 18, the second arm
portion 19, the third arm portion 20, and the hands 14 and 15 are
overlapped with each other in the up-down direction, part of the
arm 16 and the hands 14 and 15 protrude farther toward the back
than the main body unit 17. Also, in the above embodiment, the
elevating mechanism 4 is arranged behind the main body unit 17.
Beside these, the center of rotation C1 of the first arm portion 18
may be positioned farther toward the back than the center of the
main body unit 17 when viewed in the up-down direction; in the
standby state of the robot 1, portion of the arm 16 and the hands
14 and 15 protrude farther toward the front than the main body unit
17; and the front face of the main body unit 17 may be secured to
the elevating mechanism 4 and the elevating mechanism 4 may be
positioned in front of the main body unit 17. Even in this case,
the robot 1 can be arranged inside the housing 10 while the back
surface of the robot 1 is brought close to the back surface of the
housing 10; therefore, the size of the EFEM 6 can be reduced in the
front-rear direction.
Also, in the above-described first embodiment, the elevating
mechanism 4 is arranged behind the main body unit 17; however, the
elevating mechanism 4 may be arranged on the right or left side of
the main body unit 17. Also, the elevating mechanism 4 may be
positioned on the left and right sides of the main body unit 17.
Even in this case, the robot 1 can be arranged inside the housing
10 while the front surface of the robot 1 is made close to the
front surface of the housing 10 of the EFEM 6, or the robot 1 can
be arranged inside the housing 10 while the back surface of the
robot 1 is brought close to the back surface of the housing 10;
therefore, the size of the EFEM 6 can be reduced in the front-rear
direction. Note that when the elevating mechanism 4 is arranged at
both sides of the main body unit 17, the motor 45 of the elevating
mechanism 4 arranged on the right side of the main body unit 17 and
the motor 45 of the elevating mechanism 4 arranged on the left side
of the main body unit 17 are driven synchronously.
The elevating mechanism 4 may be positioned on the left-right sides
of and behind the main body unit 17. Even in this case, the robot 1
can be arranged inside the housing 10 while the front surface of
the robot 1 is made close to the front surface of the housing 10;
therefore, the size of the EFEM 6 can be reduced in the front-rear
direction. Note that, in this case, the motor 45 of the elevating
mechanism 4 arranged on the right side of the main body unit 17,
the motor 45 of the elevating mechanism 4 arranged on the left side
and the motor 45 of the elevating mechanism 4 arranged behind the
main body unit 17 are driven synchronously.
In the above-described first embodiment, the elevating mechanism 4
fits inside the inner circumference of the trace R of the leading
edge of the first arm portion 18, as viewed in the up-down
direction, when the first arm portion 18 rotates around the center
of rotation C1 of the first arm portion. Beside this, the corner
portion on the back face of the elevating mechanism 4 may stick out
to the outer circumferential side of the trace R of the front end
of the first arm portion 18 when viewed in the up-down direction.
Also, in the above-described embodiment, the main body unit 17 is
formed to be a rectangular parallelepiped elongated in the up-down
direction; however, the main body unit 17 may be formed to be a
column or a polygonal column having the hexagonal shape or
octagonal shape when viewed in the up-down direction.
In the above-described first embodiment, two hands 14 and 15 are
attached to the front end of the third arm portion 20; however,
only one hand may be attached to the front end of the third arm
portion 20. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the arm 16 is
configured by three arm portions, which are the first arm portion
18, the second arm portion 19 and the third arm portion 20;
however, the arm 16 may be configured by two arm portions or four
or more arm portions.
Next, in the above-described second embodiment, the fixed member 41
is secured to the through-hole passing portion 40b in the joining
member 40, and the robot main body 3 is secured to the fixed member
41. Beside this, the robot main body 3 may directly be secured to
the through-hole passing portion 40b. Also, in the above-described
embodiment, the main body portion 17 is formed in a rectangular
parallelepiped shape elongated in the up-down direction; however,
the main body unit 17 may be formed in a column shape. Also, the
main body unit 17 may be formed to be a polygonal column having the
hexagonal or octagonal shape when viewed in the up-down direction.
In the above-described embodiment, the nut member 47 is fixed to
one of the two joining members 40; however, the nut member 47 may
be fixed to the connection member 54.
In the above-described first and second embodiments, the
semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 7 is positioned behind the
EFEM 6 in the semiconductor manufacturing system 5. Beside this,
the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 7 may be positioned on
the right side, left side or both sides of the EFEM 6. For example,
as shown by long dashed double-short dashed line in FIG. 3, the
semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 7 may be positioned on the
right side of the EFEM 6.
While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the
present invention, it will be understood that many modifications
may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The
accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as
would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present
invention.
The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered
in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of
the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than
the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the
meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore
intended to be embraced therein.
* * * * *